Chicken and Dumplings

Last week, I posted how to make a delicious chicken stock. This is a versatile base to use in soups, sauces and glazes. I love to make chicken and dumplings with this stock, and it is a family favorite. I say nothing is better than a fluffy biscuit floating in a sea of chicken, veggies and silky, yummy sauce!

In soup pot over medium heat, chop onion and saute until just soft, add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute or less. (Cooking the onion and garlic first mellows the taste, but be sure not to burn it.) Add the Stock and chopped Celery, Carrots. Simmer the soup for about an hour or until the vegetables are tender. Mix the dumplings according to Bisquick directions, then add another Tbs of milk to make sure the dumplings are a little soggy. ***Here is the secret*** let the dumplings sit for about 3 minutes. This lets them start to raise in the mixing bowl. Scoop out tablespoon-fulls of dumpling dough and place in the gently simmering pot. Do not have the pot at a rolling boil because the dumplings will cook too fast. If you put the soup on a gentle simmer, and cover the first 1/2 of cooking time (read directions on Bisquick box) the dumpling will melt a little into the pot while it is cooking. This makes the sauce really creamy and yummy, without the adding cream to the sauce.

When the dumplings are done cooking serve and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.